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Free dental care to be provided Saturday

It’s time to get that cleaning, filling or extraction you’ve been putting off since your dental insurance lapsed.

In support of February’s Gum Disease Awareness Month, Periodontal Associates of North Florida will host a day of free dental care as part of the second annual Dentistry from the Heart event on Saturday.

Twenty local doctors, including Dr. Walter Colón, will provide patients 18 years and older who can’t afford dental care a choice of a filling, extraction or cleaning.

“We want to give back to the community that has given so much to us and our families,” said Colón, one of the event’s organizers. “It is an amazing opportunity to meet people and for them to meet us. In the process, we can help people which is what this profession is all about.”

Colón said there is an abundance of research available for those looking to learn more about proper oral care — including a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which estimates that 47.2 percent, or 64.7 million American Adults, have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. Cases are more likely in men than women — 56.4 percent and 38.4 percent, respectively.

Research from the American Academy of Periodontology shows that bacteria growing in the oral cavity can be breathed into the lungs and lead to respiratory diseases.

“If people saw the stats on this diseases prevalence, their mouths would hit the floor,” Colón said. “If we can help those numbers decrease it would be a win for everyone.”

According to the Center for Advanced Health, close to 130 million Americans are without dental insurance and do not receive regular dental care.

Colón said patients will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis with the first 75 patients guaranteed to be seen. More than 105 people received treatment at last year’s event.

“I would advise people to come out early,” he said. “Last year, we gave out the first 75 tickets before we even got started.”